Problems faced by Jaffna population after A9 landroute closure discussed

[TamilNet, Thursday, 28 September 2006, 13:05 GMT]Current acute problems facing the population of the Jaffna district since the closure of A9 landroute were came in for scrutiny at a conference held Wednesday morning at Kadduvan in Palaly High Security Zone in the peninsula. Major General Chandrasekara, Jaffna Military Commanding Officer presided and attended by a team of government high officials sent from Colombo. K.Ganesh, Jaffna Government Agent and heads of government departments in the district also participated. Government officials serving in the district were taken to Kadduvan in covered vehicles and were subjected to severe checks.

S.B.Divaratne, Commissioner General of Essential Services led the Colombo team comprising Director General of Education, Director General of Health Services, Transport Ministry Secretary and officials of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunication and the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation.

Supply and distribution of food was among the most dealt subject in the conference while shortage of fuel in the peninsula ranked next, said the sources. The Jaffna authorities were told by the government representatives that more food items would soon be shipped to Kankesanturai port.

Jaffna military authorities strongly urged the Zonal Directors of Education in Jaffna district to take immediate action to re-open all schools. The SLA officials stressed that the failure to do so will certainly affect the students as all examinations will be held according to the schedule already drawn by the Education Ministry and the Department of Examinations.

However, the local education authorities pointed out that it is impossible to re-open many schools which have been closed due to the close presence of military stations from which offensives are being launched, and because of the current lack of transport facilities.

Officials of the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications were told of the break down of postal services because post bags are sent only by ships, an arrangement hardly adequate to meet the needs of the peninsula.

The health authorities in Jaffna explained the hardships faced by people and patients due to the lack of essential medicines, shortage of Triposha children nutrient food, milk powder, oxygen cylinders, absence of transport facilities for patients in emergency in need of intensive treatment not available in Jaffna hospitals.

The conference held Wednesday was visibly an effort of the government to create and enforce measures similar to conditions which cut off the Jaffna peninsula and its residents from the main land in the 1990s, an act bound to oppress the already suffering people of the peninsula, said a participant who wished to remain anonymous.